Propeller-shaft hanger and bearing.



J. W. WALTERS. PROPELLER SHAFT HANGER AND BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1908.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

Attorney 8 7 parts, but, by

JULIUS WM. WALTERS, DEVICES COMPANY,

OF ALBANY, NEW

OF GLENS FALLS,

NEW YORK, ASSIG'NOR TO MECHANICAL YORK. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROPELLER-SHAFT HANGER AND BEARING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that l, Jumps W. \Vanrnas, a citizen of the lhiited States, residing at (llens Falls, in the county of \Varren and State of New York, have invented new and useful improvements in Propellerlialt Hangers and Bearings, of which the-lollowing is a speeilieatioi'i.

My invention relates to shalt hangers and bearings. and more lilllllt'llliil'l). to'hangers for use in connection with the propeller shafts of boats.

'here a propeller shaft. passes through the bottom of a boat it is common to provide a sleeve or stulliug' box in which the shaft is journaled. and also a ianger secured to the bottom of the boat, and serving to support the extended end of the shaft ad jacent the n'o 'ieller. With the construction heretofore employed, however, great ditlisecuring a culty has been experienced in proper alinement of the two bearings with the shaft, and with each other. in order to even approximate this result has required a. great deal of accurate adjustment. But perfect alinement is seldom attained, and as a result the bearings hind more or less upon the shaft, and not only cause wearing of the reason of the tXCBsSlVO i'riction, very materially reduce the ettective power of the motor.

The primary object of the present invention is, therefore to overcome this objection by providing the stuffing box and hanger with bearings which are universally mo able, and self-aiming, and which therefore will readily and freely adjust themselves to the roper angle.

ith the above, and other objects in view upon the details of such devices, my invention consists in the construction and arrangement; of the parts hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stern of a. boat having my invention applied thereto, parts being broken away for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale showing my improved stalling box. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section through the bearing of my improved shaft hanger, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail 1 rep- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 13, 1908.

l l l Patented J an. 25, 1910.

Serial No. 443,197.

resents the keel ot a boat which may be of any power driven type.

1? designates the propeller shalt which passes up through the keel of the boat.

In order to form a bearing for the pro peller shall I provide a housing .2, having a tiauge 13. adapted to be secured to the bottom oi the boat bv means of suitable lastenii'ig devices t. This housing has an inclined passage extending therethrough. and near its rear end is provided with a spherical seat or socket 5. This seat is surrounded by an annular groove (1 adapted to receive suitable pat-king material, which is: held in place lrv means ot a cap or cover 7. secured to the housing. as by means of screws or bolts 8. llitliin the socket f) and adapted to have a turning movement therein, is a ball Si. having a sleeve 10 extending rearwardlv there from. and preferably formed integral therewith. Through the sleeve and ball is formed an opening of such a bore as to receive and snugly lit the propeller shaft. stop ring 11 encircles the sleeve 10 and a cap or gasket screws over the sleeve 10 and abuts the stop ring 11. Suitable packing is placed between the cap and sleeve. By the above construction it will be apparent that the propeller shaft may be inserted in the hear ing formed by the ball and sleeve. and then angularly adjusted in an direction so as to bring it into the desired alinement with the motor bearings, and thus prevent the binding ol the shalt.

In order to support the shaft 13 adjacent the propeller ll I provide an improved form of hanger, as shown in detail in Figs. 3 and l. The bearings for this hanger are composed of a hall 15 preferably having a sleeve 16 extending therefrom, and provided with an opening adapted to receive and support the shaft. The ball 15 is seated in a spherieal socket termed in two adjacent similar members 17, 18, which, as shownin Fig. 4, are preferably triangular in shape, and are secured together at the top and bottom by means of bolts 19. 30, extending through flanges thereon.

To enable this ball bearing hanger to be given a variation to depth to suit various propeller diameters, I provide sup orting struts 21 22, the lower ends of which are adapted to be. riveted to the triangular socket forming members 17, 18, as clearly quirements of his particular boat, and then drilled, and riveted to the hanger.

It will be apparent that the ball and sleeve 15, 1t) will readily adjust itself to any required angular position, and eonse-' quently be prevented from binding upon the 1 shaft 13, no matter what position it. may assume. It will also be observed that by providing both the stulling box and banner with ball and socket bearings, the two may be adjusted into perferl alinement with each my all possibility of exewsive friction and undue wear of the parts is avoided,

Another important feature of the invention is the fact that the ball 15 within the hanger can be readily replaced when worn. This is accomplished by simply unscrewing bolts 19 and 2t), slipping the worn bearing out of the hanger members. and ins rting a new one in its plaee.

It. will thus be seen that l have. provided an improved bearing and hanger for propeller shafts which renders possible the perfeet alinement of the several parts, and insures free operation ot the motor, and it is thought that the numerous advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

\Vhat 1 claim is:

1. In combination with a boat, a shaft housing attached to the keel thereof and provided at its outer end with a semispherieal Socket member, a bull retaining cap plate secured upon the outer end of said socket member, a universally movable ball member seated in the socket member of said housing,

a stutfing box at the outer end of said ball member, a shafthanger fixed to the bottom of the boat at a distance irom said llUltStllfl i a. two point universally movable suspension.

2. A hanger for propeller shafts comprising a pair of similar members suitably cured together and having a spheriral soeket formed therein, a ball seated in said socket and provided with an opening adapted to serve as a bfttllllQ for the shalt, and a strut attarhed to earh of said memblfers and searred to the bottom of the boat.

A hanger tor propeller shafts eomprisz ing a pair ot similar members each having a eoneare seat, said seats, when titted together, (:onetitutin; a spheriral aorta-t, and a ball mount d in said soeket and hazing an opening adapted to reeeire the ahat't, said sot-ket tormine members being ol' triangular shape and bolted together along; ne side, and struts attaehrd to anoth r side of said iijieini rs and htftYlllQ' to support. tlnain other and with the motor b :aringa; in tltlS from the. bottom oi the boat.

l. A hanger for propeller shaft i'ompris inn a pair of similar nu'mbera each provided with a eoneave seat, said seats, when titted together, constituting a apherieal socket, a bull mounted in said socket and having an opening adapted to reeeive the shaft, and a pair of independent and separately formed struts serving; to support. said hanger and adapted to be cut. to any desired length and riveted to the. socket forming members.

5. .i hanger for propeller shafts comprising a pair of socket members disposed on op poslte sides oi said shaft, and (owning to gether a bull sueket, and a ball mounted in said socket? for universal movement and hav ing a shaft openin: there-through.

t3. A hangger t'or propeller shafts comprise ing a pair of sot-hot members disposed on op posite sides t' mid shall and forming ti. gether a hall sorket, bolt revolving hints on said members to eonneet them, strut. reeeix ine' fares and strut seruring lugs on said nmmbers. a ball member mounted in said split-rival sor-ket and having a shaft. opening therethrough. and supporting struts secured to said Socket members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presenee of two subscribing wit-- nesses.

\Vitnesses:

i Curran A. (liminnnns,

Hnmmn hlirrznnn. 

